Automobile lock



Oct. 25, 1949. n; P. BALAlS 2,485,997

I AUTOMOBILE LOCK Filed NOV. 4, I945 IN VEN TOR.

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' QLQ Patented Oct. 25, 1 949 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,485,997 IAUTOMOBILE Look Daniel P. Balais, Chicago, in. Application November 4,1948, Serial No. 58,338 d 1 1 This invention relates to automobilelocks, and more particularly to such locks and a system for lockingautomobiles which prevents the-operation of the automobile even thoughthe usual ignition lock may be short circuited or otherwise renderedineffective.

One of the objects of my invention is to provide a system for lockingautomobiles and the like which is adapted to supplement or replace thosecommonly in use and which is effective to render inoperative one or morevital parts or the operating mechanism.

As another object, it is within the purview of this invention to providea lockin system for automobiles which is efiective to prevent theshifting of gears or the movement of the gear shift lever from itsneutral position.

My invention further comprehends a locking system and lock adapted tointerlink the steering wheel, shifting lever and horn operating elementof an automobile.

It is another object of the invention to provide a steering wheel lockfor automobiles which, although it is a separable unit, has operativeand inoperative positions handy to the driver and between which it isreadily movable; the inoperative position being out of the way of normaldriving operations.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from thefollowing description and the accompanying drawings in which similarcharacters of reference indicate similar parts throughout the severalviews.

Referring to the one sheet of drawings,

Figs. 1 and 2 are fragmentary front elevational views depicting parts ofan automobile or the like and and illustrating two positions of apreferred form of my automobile lock as applied and adapted thereto;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary top plan view of a structure shown in Figs. 1and 2 and with the parts in the position illustrated in Fig. 2, and

Fig. 4 is a side elevational view drawn to a scale considerably largerthan that used in the other figures and which illustrates a preferredform of a locking device utilized in the disclosed invention.

In the exemplary embodiment of my invention which is depicted in theaccompanying drawings for illustrative purposes, I have shown theadaptation of my lock to structural parts which are associated togetherand normally movable relative to one another in the normal operation ofcurrently produced automobiles. That is, a steering wheel I0 issupported for rotation at the end 2 Claims. (Cl. 70212) of a steeringcolumn l2 and includes spokes and a rim M which serves as a grip forsteering the automobile Above the steering wheel and in substantiallyconcentric relationship thereto is v a horn operating ring l5 supportedfrom a central cap structure !6 by spokes H; the latter spokes l 7preferably being disposed in substantially parallel relationship tospokes I3 of the steering.

wheel. A gear shifting lever I8 extends outwardly from the steeringcolumn at a position adjacent and below the steering wheel, the gearshifting lever being supported for swinging movement relative to thesteering column for shifting gear ratios or for effecting a transitionfrom a neutral to a driving position.

In adapting the gear shiftin lever 18 to thedisclosed and preferredembodiment of my invention, it is provided with a longitudinallyextending slot I9 at a position such that at least a portion of the slotis directly under the spoke portion of the steering wheel, so that in acertain position or positions of the steering wheel, one of the spokesl3 of that wheel is in aligned and substantially parallel relationshipto the gear shifting lever 18 and the slot l9. For locking theautomobile, I provide a padlock 20 having a substan tially U-shaped hasp22 and a lock body 23, which body is adapted to bridge the ends of thehasp and includes a lock mechanism for effectively locking the body inits hasp bridging position. In the disclosed embodiment of theinvention, the lock is controlled by a key 24 insertable into a key hole25 which is desirably disposed at a readily accessible position at oneside of the lock body. In the present instance, the key is disposed toface toward the operator of the automobile when the'lock is in eitherits locking or unlocked positions.

For locking purposes, the lengths of the side legs of the U-shaped haspare such that when the closed end of the hasp is engaged in the slot l9in the gear shifting lever, those side legs extend upwardly through thesteering wheel and horn operating ring and straddle spokes thereof, asshown in Figs. 2 and 3. Thus, when the lock body is placed in itsbridging position across the ends of the hasp legs, the gear shiftinglever is effectively locked to the spokes of the steering wheel and hornoperating ring. With hasp legs of preferred lengths, the gear shiftinglever cannot be moved sufficiently to change its operating position whenlocked to the spoke. It may be observed that the locking of a steeringwheel spoke to the gear shifting lever prevents appreciable movement ofthe steering wheel. Additionally,

and as a preferred feature, movements of either the steering wheel orthe gear shifting lever, while thus locked, will cause the hornoperating ring to be moved so as to blow the horn and sound a signal.

As a further preferred proportion, the slot 19 in the gear shiftinglever and its disposition along the lever ar not only related to thelengths of the hasp legs so as' to provide for the movement of the haspbetween its; lockingjangi released p0, sitions, but those parts arepreferably so proportioned that the lock body may be carried on the haspin a readily accessible, but out-of-theway, position extending along thgear sighting lever with the lock body supported above the inner end ofthat lever as shown in I. In order to prevent undesirable rattling oipads-- lock during operation of the automobile and when resting in itsreleased position along th gear shifting lever, I have provided opposedand inwardly bent portions. 25 and 21 which bridge one another to asuflicient extent that they err-r ease and rest against the uppersurface or the earshiiting lever when the lock is in the releasedposition as shown in Fig, 1. the weightoi the look body tendsv to holdthe padlock against-the gear shitting la er and that look body ispreferably supported at a position above the inner end of the'gearshiftinglever.

I have illustrated a preferred embodh merit of my invention, manymodifications may be made without departing from the spirit; of theinvention, and I do not. wish to be limited toothe precise details ofeonstruetionset forth, but desire to avail myself of all changes within.the; scope or the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent of the United States, is:

1. In an automobile or the like having a steering wheel and a gearshifting lever in adjacent relationship, and said gear shifting leverhaving a slot therein, the combination therewith of a padlock having alock body and a hasp, said hasp being of a size and shape such that thepadlock a na w s e through said slot and straddles a portion of thesteering wheel with the lock body on the side of the steering wheelopposite the gear shifting @FQK a g. In an automobile or the like, thecombination as defined inclaim 1, and additionally charby thepositioning and length of said 4 slot beir ig' in such relationship tothe length of the hasp that said padlock may be carried with the haspextending through the slot and the lock body disposed the gear shittinglever and at the end thereof adiaaent the mid nortion oi the steeringwheels REFERENCES organ The following e e nces ar I w n h e t isretest?" awrs

